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About the course

This one-year PGCE Secondary Education with QTS (English) course will prepare you to teach the 11-16 age range. You will develop your subject specialist knowledge and gain hands-on classroom experience. On successful completion of the course you will be ready to start your teaching career and your first teaching year (NQT year) within the secondary school sector.

The course programme is divided into two main themes:

Initial Professional Development

We will help you explore and develop your own creative thinking, your teaching skills and curriculum knowledge in order to deliver this in a language that children understand. We will cover themes including inclusion, how young people learn, behaviour management, assessment, creative and innovative teaching methods and designing learning. You will gain a greater understanding of current professional issues in secondary schools and begin to develop your own educational philosophy.

English Specialist Subject Pedagogy

Our subject sessions will provide you with an understanding of subject pedagogy and offer you the opportunity to explore a wide range of issues such as the assessment of English. We help you to prepare for teaching English Language and Literature across the Key Stages.

In school you will have a Professional Mentor and a Subject Mentor to support you through your studies. You will receive in-house training on a variety of topics including literacy and numeracy, behaviour management, the examination process and much more. You will gain experience in both the curriculum and pastoral care of pupils and have access to a range of professionals to support you with your classroom practice.

In University, you will learn in small, friendly and supportive groups, designed to give you the confidence to succeed in addition to your course tutor. Teaching is through workshops, tutorials and lectures, some with guest speakers, and through group work.

Interview process

You will be shortlisted for interview based on your application. The interview process typically lasts for half a day. The following selection procedures are designed to assess your suitability to train to teach:

You will be asked to teach a concept from your subject area

You will participate in a group task which is designed to investigate your understanding of teaching and learning and the role of a secondary school teacher

You will complete a literacy task to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively

You will also have an individual interview with a member of the course team which will include a discussion about your subject knowledge.

How school placements work

School placements are a compulsory part of the course. You will undertake at least two placements as part of the course and will spend at least 120 days in school. You will observe experienced teachers, gain practical hands-on experience and receive mentor support to help you develop into an outstanding and confident practitioner.

Your Subject Mentor and Professional Mentor will support you throughout your placements and will give you access to observations, planning meetings, resource development, weekly mentor meetings and extended professional studies sessions.

As part of the course you will spend a period of time observing the Primary, Key Stage 2 provision and the Sixth Form, Key Stage 5 provision.

Fees

The course fees for 2019/2020 are as follows:

Student type

Fees to pay

UK students

£9,250

EU students

£9,250

The University of Huddersfield determine our fees. To find out more about financial support available to PGCE students visit the UCAS website.

You don’t have to pay the loan back while you study. It will only be repayable when you have left the course and earn over £25,000 a year.

You apply for the tuition fee loan as part of your application to Student Finance England for loans and grants. Student Finance England will pay your fees direct to the University.

When you enrol the university will as you who will be paying for your fees and whether you have requested a loan. If you have not taken a loan, they will send you an invoice for the fees, which will require payment in full during the relevant academic year.

Financial support from the training provider

We will endeavour, where possible, to take geography and personal circumstances into account when organising school placements. Trainees are expected to travel to the placement school and may be required to travel up to 60 minutes (public transport) from their residence. Please be aware of potential associated travelling costs.

Requirements

Qualifications

Honours degree (2:2 or above) with at least 50% relevant content in English. If you've got an overseas degree, we'll need a full transcript of your award and details of the marking scheme used by the awarding institution.

GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme.

Passed the skills tests in literacy & numeracy before you start the course.

Conditions need to be met by 31 August 2019.

Personal qualities

What we look for in our applicants:

A positive approach to life and ‘can-do’ attitude

A genuine enthusiasm for securing and safeguarding the best opportunities for young people

A commitment to life-long learning and a reflective approach to problems

Mental strength and resilience

Strength in the ability to communicate effectively and build strong relationships

High level of personal organisation

Other requirements

The ability to communicate effectively, and the intellectual and academic potential to meet the required Teachers’ Standards by the end of the programme.

Two references. If you have graduated within the past three years, one referee should be a university or college lecturer who can comment on your academic ability.

Offers are subject to satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced disclosure check and trainees must not previously have been barred from teaching or working with children. We also ask you to complete a health declaration to ensure that you have the health and physical capacity to teach.

About the training provider

Brighouse High School and Sixth Form College has a strong focus on staff development and support. We pride ourselves in the provision offered to trainees and colleagues at differing stages of their careers and believe that life-long learning is the key to effective teaching and a happy workforce. We have a track record of developing skilled teachers who are fully equipped to enter the secondary phase of teaching working with young people form the age of 11-18. If you are searching for a high quality, supportive and innovative school based route into teaching then Brighouse High and The Valley Learning Trust could very well be the place for you.

The school and its partner schools are easily accessible from a wide area including Leeds and Manchester yet are at the heart of the local community and, on choosing us, you will become part of that team.

Beyond the school itself we have strong links and effective partnerships with schools in The Valley Learning Trust, the local area and beyond and our work with The University of Huddersfield ensures that our trainees are always up to date with the latest developments in education and training.

Our overarching aim is provide you with a route into one of the most rewarding professions and to ensure that your time training with us is memorable, enjoyable and equips you with the desire and the skills to become a key player in the next generation of teachers.

Training with disabilities and other needs

We invite applications from suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds regardless of race, disability, religion, belief or sexual orientation. We are committed to supporting trainee teachers with a range of needs including specific learning difficulties, long-term medical conditions, mobility or physical disabilities or conditions, hearing impairments, visual impairments and social communication difficulties. Each of our partner schools has individual access arrangements but all schools in The Valley Learning Trust are Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant and we endeavour to place you in a school that meets your needs.

In addition, The University of Huddersfield’s Wellbeing and Disability Service works with students with a range of disabilities and long-term conditions that have a significant impact on their ability to study. Their main aim is to work alongside you to get the right support in place at the right time as we believe that nothing should stop you achieving what you're capable of.